Recensere
by Kendra 'Kai' Barton
Summary: Kaylee Denmoor is your ordinary woman, living on her own in Flagstaff Arizona, when one day, while picking up a new copy of one of her favorite books, she also ends up picking up a strange, silver Quill bookmark, that sends her in to the book! Now in one of the darkest tales written about French History, how will she change the classic tale of Les Miserables? Warning: Dark Themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note:****This is a bit of an odd story idea, in which a modern day person gets sucked in to a book and is able to change it's story through their actions. This is not going to be a highly smutty story, but it is going to be dark, depressing, and very VERY OOC for some characters later on. I hope you all enjoy this tale, and I highly request some reviews so that I know where I can improve as a writer. They also keep me motivated to keep writing. Enjoy! **

**Chapter 1: Kaylee Denmoor**

The light pitter-patter of rain on the roof of the small car was a calming sound. The slight squeak of the windshield wipers swishing back and forth in front of the hazel eyes behind the steering wheel, being little more than a slight annoyance. Kaylee had been driving for a little over ten minutes, and she already wanted to go back to her tiny apartment building. It had looked like such a nice day out, before the rain blew in, but that is the nature of living in the mountains. She had worn her denim shorts and a light tank top, thinking she would spend a few hours walking about downtown Flagstaff. But now she was just glad she had an umbrella in her back seat.

The car pulled to a stop at a red light, causing an eerie sort of glow inside of the vehicle. It is a strange type of person, to excel at being alone. She had no real friends, and no family, once her mother had passed away three years before. Most who knew her considered her odd and antisocial. She never went out to drink with her coworkers, never spoke of having a boyfriend, or girlfriend, and rarely spoke when around people, unless she needed to.

"She may be a bit introverted, but she's a good worker." She had overheard her boss say that once. And it was true. Kaylee worked hard, and efficiently, never asking for more than she needed. When she did speak she was polite, and never raised her voice. The nature as to why she was like this was a mystery. Those who had known her the longest say that the death of her mother had hit her hard. Before then she was still strange, but more sociable. She would crack jokes, and hang out with friends. Now, she spent her time alone, and everyone respected that.

What they were unaware of, so far, was that one thing in her life had not changed with the death of her mother. Her love of books. Even now she could be found out in a park on a summer day, sitting under a tree and just reading.

It was for this one, lingering, hobby that she had really gone out of her cozy little home for, today. She had been forced to recycle some of her old favorites, due to them being too worn out to read any more, and she adamantly refused to go electronic. So, as the light turned to green, she pulled around the corner and in to a nearby parking lot, were she would not need to pay the meter, and pulled out her small, fold-up umbrella. As she stepped out her car, her combat boot sloshing in-to a puddle, she made her way towards the small bookshop on the corner of the road.

The shop was warm and smelled of old, dusty paper the moment she stepped inside. She leaned her closed umbrella up against the front counter and gave a small smile to the clerk.

"Kaylee! It's been a while!" The older, hispanic gentleman said with a big, friendly smile.

"Hello, Mr. Greene." She replied kindly, her throat rough from a recent cold. "Any new arrivals?"

"Yes!" He said happily, moving out from behind the counter and looking up at the young lady. "Just arrived today, in fact, and I had a feeling you would want to see them! I was about to give you a call actually."

"I'd love to!" She said, a much larger smile spreading across her pale face, as she pushed her ashy-blonde hair out of her eyes.

Mr. Greene motioned for her to follow and lead her through the claustrophobic isles and in to the back of the shop. The room was small, and dark, perfect for keeping older books. Greene pulled out a hefty looking box and set it on to the table he would normally use to examine the condition of old books. As he pulled it open, however, Kaylee could see that these books did not look particularly old, and would be fine to be sold for reading. He reached in and pulled out a few, rather large looking books, bound in what looked like a fresh leather.

"Repurposed?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Apparently they had been falling apart, so they were rebound and touched up a bit for the sake of selling. I won't complain though, I've been wanting to get my hands on some more Hugo's for a while."

"Are they all Hugo?" Kaylee asked, her eyes lighting up. "Is there a-"

"Already out and ready for you, Ms. Denmoor." He smiled, handing her the largest book in the box. Kaylee took it and ran her hand over the soft, brown leather, reading the words that had been pressed in to cover.

_Les Miserables. _

"This version is bigger than the last print I had…" Kaylee stated, opening the book and flipping through a few of the thin pages.

"That's because this one is a direct translation." Greene said with a smile. "No cuts, no edits. This is as close to the original as you can get, without the ability to speak French."

"Wow…" She breathed in the smell of the paper, and ink. She could already tell just how much her original version had been cut, without even looking at the page number. The paper was almost like tissue paper, the kind you would find in a bible, and the text was certainly not a size eleven font.

"Is it for sale yet?" She asked, looking down at the man's kindly brown eyes.

"Of course!" Greene said with a nod. "It's priced at twenty-five dollars, but for you it can go for twenty."

"You don't have to do that.."

"Hey, your my favorite customer! You deserve a discount!." He laughed and began to pile the other Hugos back into their box before stopping, and frowning. "What in the world is that?"

The muttered words caught Kaylee's attention and she drew her eyes away from the book and to 's hand, were there was a small, silver object.

"Is that some kind of book mark?" She asked, leaning over to look at it closer. The shop owner shrugged and turned it over in his hand, so that they both could look at it.

It was, in fact, a small silver quill. It was flat and long, the metal feather on the end sweeping upwards in one direction dramatically. It could certainly fit into a book to mark it, but it sure was fancy looking. There were, what looked like, small colored gems inlaid into the quill, so small they looked like little more than colored glitter from a distance.

"Well, this wasn't in the order, or on the receipt." Greene said confused. "Still, it's hardly something valuable, it's not even real silver, you can tell from the weight. Why don't you take it, Kaylee?"

"I don't know, I hardly need another bookmark…" She hummed in thought. "At least give the people a call, in case they need it sent back."

"As you say." He sighed and finished putting the rest of the books away. "I'll give them a call, if you want to browse a bit more. It won't take more than five minutes."

Kaylee nodded and held the quill as he placed it in her hand. She sighed and stuck it in to the middle of her book, for safe-keeping, as she returned to the main store and looked around.

The shelves were as full as ever, unfortunately not a lot of college students liked to buy old books. But this was like an amusement park for Kaylee. Not matter how many times she came here throughout her life, she would always find something interesting. While she preferred the classics; such as Hugo and Stoker, she would often find a few small, unknown authors in here that managed to tell really good stories about adventure and justice.

She browsed for a short while, picking out a few more books she hadn't had the chance to read before, before she went up to the front counter to pay, just at was hanging up his phone.

"They know nothing about a quill bookmark." He said with a smile. "They said to keep it. So it's yours now. Are you all set to go?"

"Yep." She sighed and pulled a small wad of cash out of her back pocket as Mr. Greene piled all of her books in to one of the cloth bags he always kept behind the desk. After paying for her books, taking her rather hefty bag, and picking her umbrella back up, Kaylee reopened her umbrella and quickly made her way back to her car, careful to keep her books dry.

As she pulled back out onto the road, and started to roll down the wet street, she couldn't help but have a small smile on her face. She would go home, start up a fire, and read the rest of her weekend away. Her new copy of _Les Miserables_ should keep her busy for at least a week, if not longer. It was strange that, no matter how many times she had read the book, seen any of the movies, or listened to the musical, she always enjoyed the story. It was just one of those that continued to hold her interest.

Continuing to drive, she softly began humming to herself, the sound of her tires over the wet pavement causing a slight humming inside the car. It was oddly relaxing. So relaxing, that she did not notice that the humming wasn't coming from her tires, but from the bag at her side.

A twelve minute drive later, Kaylee was stepping out of her car and running under the awning of her apartment building. Her heavy boots clanked on the metal stairs as she climbed up to the second floor and to her apartment. Taking her keyes out of her pocket, she unlocked the door and stepped inside of her little home.

It was a plain sort of place, with only one reclining chair with a coffee stand, a desk that currently held her mostly unused laptop, and a bookshelf. Everything was nice and clean, and in its place. She kicked off her wet, and slightly muddy, boots by the door and stepped in to the kitchen to turn on the kettle for some tea.

At the stove began to heat up, Kaylee went over to the bookshelf with her bag, and carefully placed her new books into whatever empty spots she could find. Except for _Les Miserables_ which she sat on the coffee table by her chair.

When the kettle began to whistle, she quickly made her tea, and a sandwich, before making her way to her chair and settling in for the day.

Eating quickly before picking up her book again, and wiping her hands off on a paper towel, Kaylee pulled a soft, fuzzy blanket up over her bare legs as she pulled the book on to her lap, and slipped the silver quill out from between it's pages.

She looked at the quill again, running her fingers over the carved feather. Even if it wasn't real silver, it was pretty. The little stones in it glistened red and blue in the dim, rain light from the window. She turned it over in her hand again, and frowned. There was writing on the quill, a tiny little fraze carved in to the side of it. "Recensere."

_Is that Latin?_ Kaylee thought as she looked at the words that seemed to glow slightly as she tilted the small item towards the light. She shrugged, deciding that she would look it up later, before placing it on the arm of her chair and opening the book up to it's first page.

Kaylee Denmoor read for the rest of the day, and long past sunset. It was true, this version of the book had a lot more in it to get through, especially the various histories of the many characters involved. While it was fascinating, Kaylee could understand why people would have cut some of it out, as it did tend to drag on. Nonetheless, Kaylee had made a good dent into the book by eight o'clock that night, having read about Jean Valjean, and how he stole the silver from the kindly Bishop, and was saved from being rearrested. Now the book was in a town called Mantreuil-ser-mer, were a M. Madelein, who was really Valjean, had made a glass factory, and the Inspector, Javert, had just arrived in town. It was a good place to stop, with plenty of suspense and yet a nice calm.

Stretching out her back, Kaylee picked up the small quill from her chair arm and set it into the crease of the book. Just as she did, as if it was timed, a loud booming sound shook her entire apartment. Kaylee bolt upright in her chair and looked outside, were lightning flashed.

_That was a close one…._ She thought as the smell of electricity filled the air. Lightning must have struck right around here, it wasn't uncommon. Still, the way the air around her seemed to vibrate, her hands shaking as she held on to the book, made her nervous.

_I had better get to bed, so I don't throw off my sleep schedule for work on monday. _ She thought as the grasped the covers of her book and moved to close it. Only, it wouldn't.

Looking down at her hand as they tried to press the pages of the book closed, she found that she could not get it to move. She tried again, harder, but still it was like the book was being held open by something. The quill in the middle of the pages was glimmering in the light.

"What the hell is going on?" She muttered to herself, just before another thum hit her room, shaking it so hard that she was thrown out of her chair, hitting the floor with great force, landing on top of the thick book. The lights around her flickered out as she sat up and looked around in the darkness.

"What the hell!?" She called out in shock as she sat on her knees, trying to will her eyes to adjust to the dim. A slight glow beneath her caught her attention. Thinking her cell phone must have turned on when she fell she reached towards to glow before stopping and staring at it.

It was the quill. It was letting of a white light that illuminated the pages it was sat between. It was mesmerizing, and Kaylee could not move from her spot on the floor. The pages were white, with no words written on them at all, but at Kaylee continued to watch, the quill bagan to move.

A soft, flowing writing began to scrawl across the page in silver letters as the light brew brighter and brighter.

_Montrueil-sur-mer. _

The light engulfed Kaylees vision before she could see the rest of what was being written. Another loud clash of thunder, and one more flash of lightning, and the room was dark and silent. The gentle patter of rain hit the window as the silent room sat, empty, save for a mostly-empty book sitting on the floor, with a few silver words written on a page.

_Montreuil-sur-mer, 1819_

_Kaylee Denmoor awoke in a dark alleyway, confused, and alone. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note/Warning: Warning for those reading. Violence and attempted sexual violence ensue. If this makes you uncomfortable, I recommend you do not read this. **

**Chapter 2: Arrival in Monteuil-sur-mer **

Hot, sticky air wisped through Kaylee's hair as she stood from the stone street. It was dark, and it smelled of recent rain as she looked up at the night sky, filled with starts. On either side of her were two, tall buildings, built of grey stone, with wooden windows, latched closed high above her. Her bare feet pattered on the damp pavement as the took a few steps towards a light at the end of the alley, looking up at the gas light hanging by a rope from a pole.

_Where am I? _ She asked to herself as her eyes adjusted to the strange lighting. The sky was so clear, and the road was so quiet, this certainly wasn't Arizona anymore. She blinked up at the lamp again, watching as small droplets of water dripped off of the iron frame. _It's warm here, but it's nice. If I was still in Flagstaff I'd be freezing, out in the night like this._ She looked down at her bare legs and feet, leaning against one cool wall as she steadied herself from a wave of dizziness. She reached a hand up to her head, feeling something wet dripping down in front of her eye. Pulling her hand away, she stared, slightly dazed at the small specks of red that lay in her palm.

_I must have hit my head when I fell..._She thought, just as she heard a soft gasp from the street near her. She turned her head to see a couple, standing side by side, and staring at her, a young woman, dressed in a long, fancy dress with a bonnet on her head, holding one gloved hand over her mouth. The gentleman at her side held her arm, using his free hand to pull his top hat down over his eyes and averting his gaze. He wore a long overcoat and a cravat. Kaylee blinked at them and covered herself, suddenly feeling very naked in front of these two, very modestly and periodically dressed.

The couple quickly crossed to the other side of the street and hurried past Kaylee's position, whispering to each other so that she could not hear their words.

_What the hell is going on? _ Kaylee asked to herself as she slipped back into the alley, worried of more offended eyes turning towards her. _I was at home when that weird book mark started to glow...and now I'm here. But where is here? _

She turned around and walked away from the street, going down the long alley way in search of some sort of sign, or perhaps something that could pass as an inn. She walked for a while, thinking silently to herself as she walked. Those people were wearing period clothing, though she couldn't place what period, and certainly seemed offended by the sight of her. She chewed on her lower lip as the went over the events of the day in her mind, starting from getting up in the morning, to driving to the shop, and getting ready to go to bed.

_It was the lightning storm. That's when things went weird. _She thought as she turned a corner to find another alleyway, leading towards another street. She sighed and stepped out in to the road, looking up at the large building in front of her. It was massive, looking like it could hold several dozen people inside at once.

_The quill was glowing inside the book. What did it-_ Her thought was cut off by a firm hand grasping on to her shoulder. She turned around to see a man standing behind her. He was short, only about five seven or so, and his cheeks were rosey. He smiled at her, his eyes drooping tiredly as the smell of alcohol wafted from his rotten teeth.

"Heya, doll." He slurred, leaning on her slightly as she tried to step away. "Ya look lost, need some help finding a place to stay? My house is pretty close by…"

"Piss off, drunk." She pulled away from him, making him stumble a few feet until he leaned against the wall.

"Hey now, that aint to way fer a lady to talk…" He hummed as he leaned his back against the stone, looking at her up and down. She shivered and took a few more steps away, in to the street.

"Well it's a good thing I aint no Lady." She spat back, her fists clenching. "Now, were am I and who can I talk to for help?"

"Were are ya?" He asked, tilting his head up at the sky. "Yer in Montreuil-sur-mer, Lady. If yeh want help, yeh need to go to the police, or to the Mayor. But they aint gonna see no one this late at night." He sat up from the wall and stumbled towards her. "You can see em tomorrow though, for now why don't yeh come with me, I got a very nice bed you can spend the night in."

"I'll pass, thanks." She took another step back, only to run in to a firm chest. She quickly looked behind her to see a taller man with dark hair standing behind her, a similar drunken smile on his face as he put his hands on his hips.

"Aw, come now lady." He said. "My brother didn't say it, but he intends to pay ya. And we can pay ya really well if yer up for a two-fer."

Kaylee shuddered and moved to that she could keep both men in her sights, her fists clenching at her side as she look a quick look at her surroundings. There was a third man in the alley she had come from, staring at them with a smile. The direction of the large building was open.

"Sorry, gents, there seems to have been a mistake." She said softly, backing towards the large building. "I'm not a prostitute. I just got lost and left my normal clothes at home."

"Well, what were you doin out dressed like that anyway?" The taller man said, stepping in time with her to maintain a distance. The third man stepped out of the alley. "Why don't ya just come with us, nice and quiet, and you can buy some new clothes with what ya earn?"

"Not in your dreams, piss pot." She spat. And then, she turned and ran.

"Hey! Where ya goin? We weren't done talkin!" The sound of heavy footsteps were following her as her bare feet hit the pavement, making it to the other side of the road and making a sharp left turn to hurry down the street, where several lights were still on. The clacking of the mens boots were closing in on her.

She hit the corner of a building, with several bright lights and the sound of raucous cheering coming from the inside. It seemed like an inn. She reached for the door when two sets of hands grabbed her arms and yanked her back, pulling her against hard, smelly chests.

"Back off!" She barked at them, pulling at her own arms to try and free them, but the men had strong holds on her. She screamed.

"Hey, shut up or yer gonna bring the police on us!" The shortest man hissed at her as he clamped a hand down over her mouth, helping his comrades to pull her towards an alley. She shook her head away from his hand and screamed out again, feeling the strain on her throat her she belted out louder than she ever had before, trying to gain some form of traction with her feet.

"Shut her up!" The tall man hissed as they were forced back against the wall, trying to latch on their grips more. The man who had tried to silence her before balled up a fist and thrust it into her stomach. She gasped out in pain as the air left her lungs. Her gut burned as the three men forced her down to the ground and slid their hands over her bare legs.

"Hmmm she is nice." The tall man hummed. "Taller than most wenches, but nice long legs. He moved to straddle her legs to keep her down, and she thrust her knee upwards as hard as she could.

The gasp and groan of pain the man let out was beyond satisfying as he slumped off of her, holding the very tender, and very bruised spot between his legs.

"Bitch!" The tall guy's brother let go of her arm to raise a fist, aiming at her face, and she took her chance. She rolled towards the third guy just in time for the thugs fist to hit stone. She heard him bark in pain as she used her momentum to stand up and wrench her other arm free before swinging a kick towards the third man's head, hitting him hard in the nose with her knee.

The three of them were down and she took the chance to turn and run back towards the inn, were she might be safe. She made it a few steps before a heavy form grabbed her from behind and forced her back down to the pavement. Her arms pinned at her side, she was unable to stop herself from smacking her head on the stone work below, and she lay there stunned, trying to blink the flashing lights away from her eyes.

"Yer gonna pay for that, you bitch." It was the tall guy, who now sat there with his knee pinned in to her back with his full weight. "Hey boys, hurry up and have yer turn while I hold her!"

_Shit…_ She tried to sit up, or call out but her head was throbbing and the man was just to heavy. She felt rough hands slide up the back of her thighs as she tried, feebly, to kick at them. She was about to try and scream again when the sound of several, heavy boots approached from the space in front of her.

"Halt!" A deep, firm voice called out, causing the man on top of her to freeze. She turned her eyes upwards towards the group of police officers, standing in their red and blue uniforms, staring at the strange group. Standing at the front of the police force was a very tall man, wearing a heavy coat and top hat.

"Shit! Scatter!"

The weight was suddenly off of her back as the three men bolted off down the alley. Several of the police ran after them, the sound of heavy footsteps dephaning to Kaylee's ringing head. She tried to push herself up in to a somewhat sitting position as two large boots stopped in front of her.

"The owner of the Inn around the corner reported a woman's scream. Was that you?" The voice was deep and cool. It sounded neither concerned nor indifferent. Just calm. Slowly, careful of getting dizzy again, she nodded.

"Where are you clothes?" He asked, his tone unchanging.

"Don't know." She said slowly, her throat feeling sore. "I woke up in an alley down the street dressed like this." It wasn't a lie, exactly.

The figure in front of her knelt down and put one firm hand on her shoulder, pulling her into a sitting position so that she was looking at him. He was a surley sort of man, maybe in his late thirties. He had long brown hair that was tied back at the nape of his neck, and wiry whiskers around his jaw. His blue eyes were cold and calm underneath heavy brows.

"What alley? On what street?" He asked again. She raised a hand to her head and rubbed at the new cut that had started to bleed there.

"Don't know the street, I didn't see a sign. I'm not from around here…." She blinked and looked back at him. "I can show you though, I remember where I came from."

He nodded and stood up, looking down at her as if waiting. She sighed and pushed herself up, her legs shaking as a wave of dizziness hit her. She leaned against a back wall and blinked as a lantern was suddenly lit nearby. She looked in the direction to see it was held by another policeman standing near the man in the coat, who seemed to be their superior. The young man in red and blue blinked at her and averted his gaze, as the taller gentleman rose an eyebrow. Remembering her attire in comparison to others, she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hide herself at least a little bit.

"I did not realise you were so badly injured." The tall man stated, removing his long over-coat, to reveal his blue uniform. He held it out to her. "Cover yourself, and we will take you in the carriage to the alley you woke up in. Then we will take you to the hospital to take your report."

Kaylee nodded and took the long coat, wrapping it around herself. It was heavy, and much too large for her, but she felt a little more comfortable without the other police men looking so embarrassed by her. She looked down the alley, were her perpetrators had run down, and could see three piles in the shadows being wrestled to the floor. The head policeman noticed her gaze.

"They will be taken directly to the station." He stated, matter-of-factly. "You are safe now. Now, come with us to show us where you came from."

Kaylee nodded again and followed the man to where a small horse-drawn carriage stood waiting. With the other policeman supporting her with a hand on the arm, Kaylee was able to step in to the little cart and sit in the shockingly comfortable seat. She looked out the window as the tall man sat opposite her, and her support next to her.

"I ran down the street from that direction." She said, pointing in the opposite direction the carriage was aimed. "I came out of an alley across from a very large building." The man nodded and tapped on the window behind him.

"Head toward the glass factory." He stated, and the carriage started to move, making a large turn to go back down the street. The drive was only a moment before the cart stopped again. He looked at her expectantly as she looked out the window. She pointed to the narrow alley she had walked out from. He looked at it through the window and sighed.

"It's too narrow for the cart. Can you walk enough to show me?" He asked. Kaylee nodded.

"Yeah, with some support, I think so."

He nodded again and ordered the driver to get them as close to the alley as possible before opening the door and stepping out, holding out one hand to help her out. She took it and made her way down the small step carefully, feeling tired and sore, one hand grasping at her side firmly.

"We will get you to the doctor as soon as we know where we are looking." He said, and she sighed. Slowly, and very gingerly, Kaylee lead the police down the alley, explaining where she had first encountered the men who had attacked her, and then took them to the spot were she had woken up.

"I woke up here, laying face down in that direction." She explained, describing what she could remember. "Before that, all I can remember was being in my sitting room reading a book. There was some loud rumbling and a light. That's all."

Kaylee leaned against the nearby wall as the tall man knelt on the the ground and looked at the spot she had pointed out, he seemed to study the area for a moment and then looked back up at her.

"Did you notice any injuries when you woke?"

"I had a cut on my head." She said with a sigh. "Then I got another one when that guy tackled me to the ground. Other than that, I was unharmed when I woke up."

He nodded and stood up, brushing some damp filth off of his pant leg before speaking a few words to his underling and walking back towards the carriage.

"My men will close off this area until morning, so that we can take a better look around then. For now I will take you to the hospital, and inform the Mayor of what happened." He spoke sternly and with authority, using one gloved hand to support Kaylee's elbow as she walked, leaving his other officer behind to close off the area. "What is your name? And were are you from, if not around here?"

"My name's Kaylee Denmoor." She said with a sigh. He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm from a place called Arizona, in America."

"You are from America?" He asked with only a mild change in voice to indicate his shock. "I have not heard of Arizona, so far, but I do not pay much mind to foreign affairs. You speak French quite fluently."

"Thanks Mr….um." She blinked at him. _I'm speaking French!? How?! Seriously, what is happening!? _"You never told me your name, Sir."

He inclined his head as they reached the carriage, opening the door and assisting her in with a hand.

"I am Javert, Police Inspector of Montreuil-sur-mer."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note: Another big thank you to everyone who has been reading. Please, do leave a review down below so as to help be improve as a writer! I feel the need to give a really big warning to any religious people who read this, and the main character commits some major Blasphemy here. Please, I personally do not have any hatred for Catholicism or any form of spirituality, but I do see how faith can be easily manipulated. This is this characters personal believes on the subject and not my own. This is fiction, not fact. Other than that, please enjoy and I highly request some reviews! 3**_

_**Chapter 3: Javert and Madeleine**_

The sound of wooden wheels on wet pavement caused Kaylee to shiver as she looked out the small window of the tall Policeman sitting next to her was looking at her with stern blue eyes, his arms folded in front of him. Kaylee paid no attention to him. Her head was hurting from the two, hard hits it had taken in succession, and her ribs were burning enough to encourage the thought that they may be broken. But what had her more distracted were her thoughts.

_The guy mentioned Montreuil-sur-mer before..._She thought to herself as the watched little specks of water begin to appear on the window. _I didn't believe him, but...if this guy really is Javert, and I really am in that place…_ She sighed to herself and pinched the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb. _Those people were dressed too weird, and the way people look at my clothes. Am I really in France right now? Did I….did I actually get sucked into a book? _It sounded insane, but at that moment in time she really couldn't think of a better explanation. Either that or this is one of the largest and most unnecessarily complicated jokes someone could ever play on her.

_And I don't think I'm dreaming…._ She clenched at her side as the cart hit a bump in the road. Her teeth clenched and she leaned her head back against the seat, closing her eyes as she took a few deep breaths, trying to collect her thoughts again.

_OKay, If I am in Les Miserables, and Javert is in Montreuil-sur-mer, then the Mayor should be Madelein, or Valjean. Javert said that he was going to notify the Mayor, so at the very least I should be able to get some medical treatment for my injuries...but then what? I don't have any money to get new clothes, and I don't know all the ins and outs of this place. Am I just gonna get stuck here, getting a job in the glass factory or something?_

A hand touched Kaylee's arm and she jumped, turning to see the Inspector looking at her. Once he had her attention he removed his hand and faced forward again.

"You shouldn't fall asleep." He said sternly. She sighed and nodded. _If I have a concussion, sleeping would be bad right now…._

But she was so tired, and she had no idea how far it was to the hospital at this rate. So she sat up a little more and focussed her eyes on Javert, taking in his figure.

_Well, at least he helped me, he really isn't the terrible person the movies always made him out ot be. _She thought, looking at the stern face, looking even more harsh in the dim light of the carriage. _He looks younger than I imagined, but otherwise about the same. _ He had removed his hat after giving Kaylee his coat, to maintain her decency. Without the hat or the bulk of the coat, she could see his entire form much more clearly.

He was very tall, no matter the century he was in, standing at clearly over six feet, maybe close to six-three? And he was broad. His barrel chest moved only slightly as he breathed, causing the buttons of his uniform to glint with small amounts of light picked up from the lanterns on the street. His arms were thick as was his neck, he was very muscular underneath all of those layers. His skin was somewhat darker than the other people Kaylee had seen that night, and his nose had a slight hook to it. His hair was deep brown and slicked back to it's tie, not a hair was out of place. Even his mutton chops seemed to have been meticulously groomed.

_Certainly not an attractive man…._She thought as she agreed with Hugos comparison to a bull dog. _But he's clean. He doesn't smell like booze or dirt like those other guys did. Right now I'll take that over anything. _

Kaylee blinked as Javert turned his eyes to her again, one bushy eyebrow raising in a questioning manor. Kaylee raised hers in response.

"One of my men told me one of your attackers had a broken nose." He said cooly. "Did you do that?"

"Is it a crime to try and protect yourself from rapists?" She asked drly. His eyebrows shot up in the first real show of surprise.

"No…"He said slowly. "But I would be surprised if a woman were able to do so much damage to a man. Even one shorter than her."

Kaylee laughed, regretting it instantly as her stomach ached again. _Oh, 1800s sexism at its finest. This is going to be hard to deal with. _Javert just looked at her, waiting for her to stop laughing and respond.

"I've been living alone for a while." She said, resting her back against the seat and catching her breath. "I learned how to fight to make sure I at least had a chance to protect myself."

"It's smart." He said dryly before looking away. Kaylee furrowed her brows at him. "Not enough women are able to protect themselves, and it is far too convenient for the criminals that would take advantage."

_Huh, progressive…._She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her hair falling over her shoulder.

"You think more women should learn to defend themselves?" She asked. He was silent for a moment before give a single, curt nod.

"A man cannot always be there to protect them." He said. "They should at least have the ability to get free and run, if nothing else."

"Why do I get the feeling that's not a very popular opinion around here?" She asked. She could have sworn she saw the corner of his mouth twitch for a second. Probably her imagination.

"It isn't." He said, turning to glance out of the carriage window. Kaylee took the hint and turned to look out her own now. It had started raining again, causing a dull hum on the top of the carriage as they carefully turned a corner. The streets were very dark, even with the lanterns hanging off of their poles. The buildings were all grey and shiny with the rain. The clouds had blown in so fast, she wasn't even able to see the stars or moon anymore. She glanced back at Javert.

"What time is it anyway?" She asked, tiredly. "And what's the date?"

The Inspector took out his pocket watch and clicked it open silently.

"It is two fifteen in the morning. April twenty seventh."

"And the year?"

He turned to her, raising an eyebrow.

"You don't know the year?" He asked. Kaylee shrugged.

"Well it was August when I remember being at home, so I have no idea how much time I missed." She said dryly. Javert sat up at this.

"You don't remember nearly an entire year?"

"I don't think so." She said tiredly. "It may be more than that, that's why I want to know the year."

"Eighteen-nineteen."

"Huh, okay…" _Two Hundred years in the past….That's insane. _"Yeah...about a year then…"

Javert's eyes narrowed at Kaylee, like he was studying her intently.

"Is there something you aren't telling me, Ms. Denmoor?" His voice was cold and hard, the intimidating voice used to draw information out of criminals.

"Not at the moment…" She said slowly. "There is something, but if it is alright with you I would prefer to tell the Mayor first."

A hand grasped her arm, hard. Kaylee flinched at the grip, strong enough to bruise.

"If you are withholding information that could affect the case…." He warned. Kaylee sat up straight and put her other hand on his wrist, pulling it off of her with a cool calmness that was chilling in its own right.

"Nothing that would affect your work, My dear Inspector, I assure you." She said coldly. "It has more to do with my being here, and while you are the police, I feel it is more for the head of this town to determine whether or not I speak the truth. So if you would kindly not grip my arm like a vice, the sooner I speak to the Mayor, the sooner I can divulge this information unto you."

The two of them glared at each other for several moments, and Kaylee was sure Javert was going to say something more when the cart came to a stop.

"The Hospital, Monsieur le Inspector." The driver said. Javert pulled his hand away and stepped out of the cart, helping Kaylee out as well.

"I will take you in and let the Doctor help you." He said, his face as impassive as ever. "Then I will inform the Mayor immediately."

"Thank you, Inspector Javert." Kaylee said, trying to walk on her own without groaning. "And despite our spat, thank you for helping me tonight. You are a good man."

Javert averted his gaze, looking instead, towards the building.

"It's simply my duty, Madame Denmoor."

She let out a very un-ladylike snort and pulled the coat tighter around herself as they stepped up to the door, were Javert knocked loudly.

"Unfortunately not enough Policemen take their Duty as seriously as you do, Inspector." She said, he glanced at her. "I've known plenty who would not have lifted a finger. Hell, I've known some who would have joined in. Duty has nothing to do with that. You are a good man, or at least a good Policeman."

"America must not have a very good grip on their law enforcement if such things are happening there." He almost grumbled. He seemed outright offended at the notion. Kaylee smiled.

"Corruption tends to bleed down." She sighed. "Corrupt government leads to corrupt leaders and corrupt subordinates."

"You seem to be well versed in government. I did not realise America allowed women to learn of such things."

"Lets just say I'm a special case." She smirked as the door opened, and an older woman, looking very tired, in a nun's habit. She looked at Kaylee and then up to the inspector. The poor woman only came up to Kaylee's shoulder.

"Sister, this young lady was assaulted tonight and needs medical attention." Javert explained, putting a hand on Kaylee's back and pushing her forward slightly. "Please do what you can for her. I will be returning later, likely with the Mayor, to get some information."

The nun nodded and held the door open for Kaylee, who stepped in slowly.

"Of course. I am Sister Cecilia. What is your name, Mamselle?"

"Kaylee Denmoor…." She spoke softly as the door closed behind her, catching only a glimpse of Javert as he returned to the carriage. "I...appreciate any help you can give, Sister. I...apologize for my attire. The good Inspector had to lend me his coat to keep me decent…"

"You need not apologize to me." Cecilia smiled and lead Kaylee down a short hall and in to a small room with a dresser in it. She looked in it for a moment before pulling out a white dressing gown, and handing it over to her. "I suspect it will be too short for you, but it will keep you modest enough. Do you need help changing?"

"Ah, no…" She took the gown, feeling the rougher material in her hands. "I think I can manage on my own. Thank you, though…"

"Of course. I will be on the other side of the door if you need any assistance. Please, place the Inspectors coat and your clothing on that table when you are done, my fellow sisters will ensure they are cleaned."

"Um..okay." She smiled as Sister Cecilia gave a small bow and exited the room. Kaylee sighed and unbuttoned the coat, folding it and setting it down on the table before pulling off her tank top, slowly, feeling her ribs protest to the movement. Looking down at herself, Kaylee quickly took note of how beaten and bruised she was. There was a massive dark spot appearing on her side, were that guy had punched her, and she had blood dripping down from scrapes on her knees. Even her feet had started to bleed.

_I'm gonna hurt like Hell in the morning…_ She thought as she took off her shorts and placed them with her top before removing her Bra and panties, just knowing the nuns would be confused when they see those undergarments. He pulled on the dressing gown, happy that it fit decently enough. It was certainly too short, falling down to about her mid-calf, and it was certainly more fitted on her curves than it would have been to other women, but it didn't strain anywhere when she moved her arms, so it would do.

Taking a breath, she opened the door to see Cecilia standing there talking to another nun. The two older women looked at her and gave small gasps, though they clearly tried to hide them with small, gentle smiles.

"Well, I am sorry we do not have any gowns that are better fitting, but this will do. Please, we have a bed ready for you."

Kaylee nodded and followed the two women to another room with three beds in it. Luckily, all of the bed were currently vacant, and were seperated with sheer curtains. Cecilia took her to one of the beds that had been made up with clean sheets and helped her lay down, pulling the covers up to her hips and supporting her head with some pillows.

"We are just going to give you a look over, and make note of your injuries, so that the Doctor may treat them."Cecilia explained as the other woman sat at a nearby desk, pulling out a paper, a bottle of ink, and a quill. Kaylee nodded. "Now, where is the most pain?"

"Here…" She motioned to her ribs. "I...think I broke a few ribs…"

The Sister nodded and, very carefully, worked with Kaylee to lift her night gown enough to look at the bruise. Her fingers, while attempting to be gentle, sent sharp pain through Kaylee's body, but she gritted her teeth.

"Three ribs…" She sighed. "You must be in a great deal of pain…"

"I'll live…" Kaylee shrugged. The sister gave a small smile.

"Were else?"

"Um...my head, then the cuts on my legs, I think that's it…"

Over the next several minutes Kaylee helped the Sister to find all of her injuries and write them down, in order of most serious to least serious. Afterwards the women left Kaylee on her own to go and talk to the actual was left alone for a while, looking up at the ceiling, gazing absently at the religious iconography that was strewn about the room as she tried to put together a plan.

_If Valjean is the Mayor at this point I could use that to my advantage. I know his secret. Hell, I know more about him than anyone should be able to, even about his sister. I don't want to blackmail him though...he is a good guy. But I can't exactly explain that I'm from the future! Or that we are, actually, in a book! And how am I gonna explain being from a State that isn't even a state yet? Right now I think it's still technically a part of New Mexico…_

She sighed and her eyes wandered to a picture of angels across the room from her, sighing heavily at it. Kaylee wasn't particularly religious. Sure she believed in some sort of higher power, but nothing like the Catholic church preached.

_But everyone here is super religious. I'm being cared for by nuns, for Christs sake…._She thought. _Maybe...I could play off of that? I could use it as a way to explain my being here? It would be a massive lie, but I don't know what else to do…_

It was at that time that the doctor finally came in, alongside Sister Cecilia, who was carrying a tray of food and a glass of water. The doctor, and older gentleman with curly white hair smiled at her.

"Hello, Madame Denmoor. I and Letrois. The Sisters have prepared you some food. But if it is alright with you I would like to get those ribs bound before you eat, as well as clean and bandage your cuts. Afterwards you may eat and try to sleep. Is that okay?"

Kaylee just nodded and took a deep breath as she sat up, lifting her gown with the help of Cecilia so that the Doctor could start to wrap her ribs, while trying to be ask respectful of her modesty as possible. As he was wrapping her torso, she asked through gritted teeth.

"Has there been any work of Mayor Madeleine yet?" The Doctor looked up at her and smiled.

"Not yet, but Inspector Javert is known to be very assertive with his work. If she thought it was prudent the Mayor speak to you tonight, he will be here within the next couple of hours." His eyebrows twitched slightly. "I would prefer you rest, honestly, you were badly injured…"

"I'll be okay." Kaylee smiled back. "And I need to speak with him as soon as I can...and...possibly a priest as well, if there is one available?"

"Madame, is there something we can help with?" The Sister asked, stepping forward. "You may take confession on Sunday, if that is what you need, the Doctor does not think your life is at risk…"

"I need to ask him something very important, regarding how I was brought here…" She said slowly. "Because...I do not think it was anything natural that did it…"

The Sisters gasped and stepped away, the Doctor looked at her, shocked, stopping his work.

"You fear the Devil's work?" He asked, as the Sisters crossed themselves.

"I...don't know." She spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully. "I have been devout my entire life, I haven't missed a day of church or a daily prayer. But...something odd happened and I do not know what its cause was. I wish to speak to a Priest, so that he may, perhaps, be able to answer my questions...and if this was the doing of something evil...perhaps help to expel it."

"I shall call for the Priest at once." The second sister said as she rushed off. Cecilia was holding a string a prayer beads to her mouth, muttering some words silently as the Doctor cleared his throat, and continued his work.

The doctor worked quickly and quietly, only speaking to Kaylee if he was checking on how her pain was, or to ask her to move so he could better reach an injury. Nearly an hour past thus, before there was a knock at the front door. Sister Cecilia went off to answer it as the Doctor had Kaylee lay back and pulled the covers up to her chin, wiping his hands on a rag before sitting up straight as two men entered the room.

One was Inspector Javert, and the other, was an older man, perhaps twenty or so years older than Javert, with light hair that was beginning to grey, and a well trimmed beard. Green eyes smiled at her kindly.

"Mamselle, Denmoor?" He asked. Kaylee nodded. "I am Madeleine, the Mayor of this small town. The Inspector told me what had happened and the situation. I am sorry for you arrival in to our town to have been so violent."

"It's hardly your fault, Monsieur." She replied with a tired smile, before looking back at the others in the room. "Um...Monsieur le maire, may I speak to you privately for a moment?"

His brows instantly creased. He looked to both the Inspector and to the doctor, who were both looking reproachful.

"May I ask why, Madame?" He asked in return.

"I wish to speak to you of a private matter. For your ears only, as of the moment." She kept her eyes locked on his. "Afterwards, if you deem it necessary, you may tell them."

The man thought for a moment before nodding.

"A moment alone, if I may?" He asked. The Doctor seemed uncomfortable with the thought, but nodded and left. Javert hovered for a moment, his eyes glancing between the two of them before giving a curt bow and leaving the room. Waiting until they heard the door latch, Madeleine pulled a chair up to her bedside and sat down, removing his hat and setting it on her side table.

"Very well, Mamselle, what is it you wished to tell me?" He asked, a kind, yet hesitant smile on his face. Kaylee struggled in to a sitting position, looking at him seriously.

"This is going to sound crazy….but I know you." She said flatly, in a hushed tone. "I know your real name, and why you are here."

The color drained from his face as he stuttered to say something. She continued instead of letting him talk.

"I have no intention of outing you, Monsieur Valjean." She said. He seemed to flinch at the sound of his name. "In fact, I want to help you. I know you are a good man who only did what he did in an attempt to survive, for your nephew, and sister. I...I think I was sent here to help you…"

"Sent?" He asked, his voice just as hushed as hers now, leaning in to whisper even more quietly. "What do you mean? How do you know me?"

"Like I said, this is going to sound crazy…" She took a breath. "But...I was sent...from the future?"

He blinked at her, clearly not sure how to respond. So she continued.

"My full name is Kaylee Denmoor. I am twenty three years old and I live in a place called Flagstaff Arizona, in America. Arizona did not become an official state until the year nineteen-twelve. When I was in my room, at home, it was the year twenty-nineteen. I know about you because I have read about your story in a book."

"Y...you are not making any sort of sense, Mamselle." He said, leaning away. "You speak of being sent through time, of my life being in a book….this sounds like madness."

"I can prove it." She said flatly. He seemed to swallow before nodding. "Your full name is Jean Valjean, named after your father. You had an older sister named Jeanne, named after your mother, Jeanne Mathieu, who died of a milk sickness when you were young. And your father died from falling from a tree. He was a pruner for Faverolles. When your sister was widowed with seven children you took up your father's old job to try and provide for them. When you were laid off for the winter, you were forced to steal a loaf of bread so they could eat, and that landed you in Toulon in seventeen-ninety six. You tried to escape several times, which increased your sentence, but eventually you were out on parole. You found hospice at Bishop Bienvenu's home, were you stole his silver. After you were caught, the Bishop told the police that he had given you the silver, allowing you to go free. He gave you silver candlesticks, and had you promise to become a better man. You still have those candlesticks. Afterwards you accidentally stole a forty-sous piece from a young boy named Petit Gervais, and that was the last crime you commited."

She took a breath and just watched him. He sat there, utterly perplexed. Surely, the stuff about him being in prison could have been learned, but no one really knew about Petit Gervais, or the candlesticks. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow, thinking hard for a moment.

"And...you learned all of this from a book?" He asked, his voice dry. She nodded. "And...you say you want to help…"

"I want to help people…" She explained. Which was true. "I know what's going to happen in the future, I know what will happen from here till your passing, and I want to save as many people along the way as I can, as long as I'm here. Has the incident with Fauchelevent happened yet?"

"What incident?" He asked, looking startled. She smiled. "Soon, very soon, old man Fauchelevent will have an accident. His horse will fall and break two legs, and he will get caught underneath the cart."

"Heaven…" Valjean muttered, standing up and starting to pace. He turned back to her. "And you are certain of this?"

She nodded and looked at her hands.

"I think I was sent by god to help people. There was blinding white light and I woke up in an alley. I jumped backwards two hundred years in the blink of an eye. What else could do that, other than God? My clothes are waiting to be cleaned, you will see they are nothing like you would find today. Look at them. I swear upon my very soul that I am telling you the truth!"

'Madeleine' picked up his hat and nodded, his face was a pale as ever. He glance back at her, clearly not sure what to believe.

"I will look at your belongings...in the meantime I will pay for your medical care...do you have a place to live after you are released?"

"No. And I have no money on me. I don't even know what the customs of this time are…"

"You will need a guardian then…." He mused, running a hand over his beard as he thought. "I will look in to this…"

"If you decide I am telling the truth, I have a recommendation…" She said slowly. He glanced at her and gave a cautious nod. "Like I said, I want to help as many people as I can. And...I think I can do that if I am able to stay near the Inspector…" Valjean gave a blink of shock and opened his mouth to question. "I can't tell you much, I don't know how much influence that could have on your life, and I know you help enough people that I don't want to veer your path too much...but I will say that you and Javert are going to be meating, allot, in the future. You are destined to clash. He's not a bad man, but he….I think he is someone who needs help. And he is around enough pain and suffering that it would give me the access to help others." _And I can keep a close eye on this story, if I need to play through it...and this way, hopefully, I won't screw things up for Cosette. _

The Mayor thought and nodded slowly, moving back towards the door.

"I will ask the Sisters if I may see your belongings...if what you say is true, I will see if I can convince Javert to take you in to his care."

"Thank you." She smiled at him. "And a Priest is on his way to help clear up if this as an act of God or the Devil...so if there is anything you can add to that, I would appreciate it."

He nodded again, replaced his hat, and walked out of the door. Kaylee laid back, closing her eyes tiredly as she took a deep breath. She just had to talk to a Priest, and then wait to hear what would happen. While all of her religious jargon was bull shit, the rest of what she had said was true. She knew what would happen in the story, she knew how many people would suffer along the way. If she could help even a few people, if she could perhaps change the fate of certain individuals, then she would be happy.

_That is, if I can't get back home…_She thought, through closed eyes. She was thinking back to her little apartment. To her comfortable little home, just big enough for herself. She remembered her workplace, and the satisfaction she got knowing she did it well. She remembered her mother. She hadn't been perfect, no one was, but she did what she could for her kid. She accepted Kaylee for her strange self, she encouraged her fight for what she believed in. Her mother's death had hit her hard. Like so many young ladies, she had always imagined her mother being there when she got married. Or being able to say hello to her grandchildren. But she would never know what that was like. She had no family, no distant relatives that remained in contact.

_You would be pretty shocked at this, huh mom? _She thought silently, feeling tears well up in her eyes. _I wish I could go back, even if it was just to look at your old photos again…_

She heard a door open and she sat up again, opening her eyes and quickly reaching to take a drink of water. As she did, a strange silver glow caught her attention. Laying in her lap, was a book. Or, the image of a book. She stared at it as the words wrote themselves out infront of her. A heavy wind picked up around her that blew her hair back, causing the gossamer curtains to billow about. She saw the word again. _**Recensere**_ and then the glow faded. The wind died down and now there was only the rough covers of the hospital bed covering her legs. She stared at the spot for a moment, confused and shaking.

"Mother Mary…" The voice caught her attention as her eyes shot up to the group of people watching her. A Priest had arrived, wearing his white robes and a skull cap. He was kneeling in front of her, his hands clasped over his prayer beads as he prayed. The two nuns at his side did the same. Both the Inspector and Valjean had removed their hats and were staring at her in awe.

_Well...I guess they're convinced…._She swallowed hard, averting her eyes from the scene, wishing she had eaten before all of this.


End file.
